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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334760">Sins of the Mother</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephinator87/pseuds/stephinator87'>stephinator87</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stumptown (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 06:48:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,796</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23334760</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stephinator87/pseuds/stephinator87</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>direct continuation from the Stumptown season finale.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Grey McConnell/Dex Parios</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Disclaimer: Stumptown is owned by ABC television.</p><p>Chapter 1</p><p> </p><p>Dex loathed her mother.  Not always, sure they had had their typical mother-daughter tiffs and she wasn’t impressed when Dex would sneak off to the reservation to be with Denny, but at least for the last 12 years Dex had been harbouring a unique hatred for both her parents, although only one parent was standing before her in her doorway right now.</p><p>	“Mom?” </p><p>	Dex hadn’t seen this woman since the day before she shipped out to war. They fought relentlessly that day.  She didn’t want her to go get herself killed in a stupid war but Dex needed to get out of Portland, to a place where she could use her aggression to her advantage.  A place where she wouldn’t have to see Denny and his wife and their new baby and be reminded of what she had lost.  </p><p>	“Hello Dexedrine” was her mothers simple reply. </p><p>	Before Dex could respond Ansel ran up to the woman, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Mom” he sighed.  Dex couldn’t understand why Ansel would be so excited to see their Mom again, both parents had left him behind in a group home not long after Dex had left. </p><p>	“I uhhh, I think you should leave Mom.” Dex muttered. </p><p>	“This is her house Dex.” Ansel said matter-of-factly, still clinging to the woman who left him behind.   </p><p>	She shook her head “Fine, you know what? I’ll leave.” Dex said grabbing her jean jacket and keys, pushing between Ansel and her mother and leaving them all behind; stunned.  Dex all but ran to her car, slamming the door behind her. She wriggled her key and the car of course took a while to start, “start, just fucking start” she whispered to her car, willing it to start, tear running down her face, hands shaking.  Finally the car started and she drove away.  </p><p>	She drove around a while, not knowing where to go.  Eventually she found herself in the parking lot of the Bad Alibi; she knew Grey was still in the hospital and she had left Tookie at the house so she knew no one would be there.  But she needed a drink; and she didn’t take any money with her, but she did however have a key to the bar and let herself in. </p><p>	She let herself behind the bar and found an open bottle of Whiskey.  She poured herself a large glass and took a large gulp.  </p><p>	“Thought I’d find you here” </p><p>	Dex looked up.  “Grey?  You’re supposed to be in the hospital!” She scolded him, rushing over seeing his arm in a sling. </p><p>	“Ansel called me.” </p><p>	“Doesn’t mean you have to come running you know?  Did you escape from the hospital?”</p><p>	“Well the doctor wasn’t too happy but gave me some drugs to go to help with the pain, and I have to go back tomorrow to get everything checked out.” </p><p>	“Ansel shouldn’t have called you.  He has to stop doing that. You need to go back to the hospital Grey- “she was rambling, and she knew it. </p><p>	“Stop Dex, calm down. I’m fine, really.” He tries to calm her down. </p><p>	“You’re not fine Grey! No one is ever fine around me!  You were shot for fucks sake! Because of me!” She was yelling at him now. </p><p>	“Dex, you’re being crazy right now you know that?  If Ansel hadn’t called me, you could be dead!  And then there would be no one for Ansel!” </p><p>	Dex laughed, “Ansel didn’t tell you yet?  Didn’t you hear, my moms back.  I don’t need to be there for him anymore.”  Dex leaves Grey standing in the middle of the bar and Dex returns to her drink. </p><p>	“That’s bullshit Dex! You need to be here for Ansel regardless if your mom is back in town.” </p><p>	“So, he did tell you.” She laughs cynically. </p><p>	“Yes, he told me. Ansel tells me everything.”<br/>
“Why is she back Grey?” She asks him, hands visibly trembling.  “When I came back, I was so broken.  Benny was gone and I blamed myself and I come home, and my parents are gone.  They were gone and they just dumped Ansel in some awful group home.  I fought so hard to get him back, it took everything I had in me to get him back.”  She finishes her drink and slams the glass down, “I fought so hard for Ansel and mom comes back and he just accepts her with open arms” She’s crying now, and Grey has made his way over to her.  </p><p>	“Dex, I- “She turns to him and slams against him, hugging him fiercely. He winces as she’s against his sore shoulder, but he doesn’t care and pulls her close to him.  She’s sobbing and Grey can’t quite tell but it feels he’s holding her up completely as she sobs.  He’s seen Dex upset sure, but never anything like this.  He knows that after all the stress of finding Benny’s killer, this was the last thing she needed.  “Ansel doesn’t need you less because your mom is back.  If anything, he’s going to need you more; to help him with this.”  </p><p>	She pulls away from him and wipes her tears with the back of her sleeve.  “Sorry about your shoulder.” She whispers. </p><p>	“It’s fine Dex.” </p><p>	“No, Grey, its not.  But I am glad you’re here.”  She smiles and sniffles, “you’re always here.” </p><p>	Grey smiles, “I’ll always be here for you Dex.” </p><p>	“I know you will.  Thank you.”  She pours herself another tall glass of Whiskey. </p><p>	“You’re cut off after this Dex.” </p><p>	“Yea, yea.  Can I crash here tonight?”  Grey nods, “thanks, and when you call Ansel back to tell him you found me please tell him not to bring her here.”</p><p>	“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  They both smile at each other. </p><p>End Chapter 1</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chapter 2</p><p>	“Ansel’s worried about you Dex.”  Grey said to her as they were now upstairs, and he had a chance to talk to Ansel and tell him that his sister was okay. </p><p>	“He should have thought about that before contacting our mother.”  Dex was still drinking, swaying a bit as she spoke.  She sprawled herself out on the couch putting her head in her hands, “I didn’t mean that, I mean Ansel- “</p><p>	“Ansel loves his big sister, and you love him too” Grey interrupted, “time for bed Dex.”</p><p>	“I’m fine here,” she said from the couch. She had already kicked off her shoes and taken off her jacket and her eyes were closed.  </p><p>	“Nuh uh Dex.  After the shit that’s happened tonight.  I don’t want to have to get out of bed and walk all the way over to the couch when you start screaming in your sleep.” Grey had been there for her nighttime terrors before.  About 6 years ago Grey had stayed over at the house for a few weeks when Dex was having a particularly bad time.  </p><p>	Dex shot up from the couch, “that’s not fair Grey.  Its over, I don’t blame myself for Benny anymore, no more night terrors okay!  I’m fixed!” </p><p>	They were fighting again, its what they did, they couldn’t help themselves.  “You think that just because you found out who killed Benny, means you no longer have PTSD?  He’s still dead Dex!  And you were still in a goddamn war zone!”  </p><p>	“I don’t have PTSD, it was just some bad sleeps. I never had PTSD okay?” </p><p>	“Yes, you do Dex! You will always have PTSD from what happened over there whether Benny is alive or not.  Maybe you’ll be fine for a while, and the episodes will come less often, but you’re going to have nights, like tonight, where you’re not okay!  I know when you’re not okay!”  Grey walks over to her.  “Drinking like this tonight Dex, you’re not alright.”  He whispered.  He knew her, he knew her better than anybody.  </p><p>	Before Grey could say anything else Dex dropped her drink and kissed him hard as glass shattered on the ground. Dex was forceful and kissed him and even though Grey knew she was only kissing him to shut him up he didn’t care and he let her push him over to the bed where he fell backwards and she straddled his hips.  Dex was still sober enough to remember that his arm was still in a sling however and was careful of his landing on the bed. </p><p>	“Dex, what are you-“</p><p>	“Fuck me Grey, please,” she cried out, she pulled off her shirt and began to unbuckle his belt. </p><p>	“Damnit Dex!”  Grey used his one good hand to try and hold hers in place.  “I can’t do this with you right now.  I won’t.”  </p><p>	Dex stilled, knowing she had majorly screwed up.  “I’m sorry, god I’m so stupid.”  She collected her shirt from the floor.  “I’m just gonna go.”  </p><p>	“Dex stop!”  She looked back at him, “I don’t want you leaving here doing something you’re going to regret.  Just go to bed. Please.”  He didn’t want her going out trying to find someone else who could satisfy her drunken sexual urges.  He loved Dex, more than he ever wanted to admit and this was the worst possible time to travel down that road again with her.  </p><p>	“Umm, do you have something I can change into?”  She asked, smiling slightly. </p><p>	“Yea,” he threw her a pair of old sweatpants and a Portland Timbers t-shirt.  An outfit she had worn here before.  She smiled as she looked at the shirt.  Ansel loved the Portland Timbers.  She tried to make a mental note to take him to a game soon when she was done being mad at him.</p><p>	She changed quietly and without argument while Grey struggled to look away.  Normally he would stare, and they would carry a conversation as she stripped in front of him, and she wouldn’t care because they had been friends.  Tonight, that had changed.</p><p>	Once Dex got into Grey’s clothes, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, breathing deeply.  Grey placed a glass of water and some advil next to her side of the bed, knowing that the morning would not be kind to her.  </p><p>*Three hours later </p><p>	Grey woke up to shifting next to him.  He squinted to get used to the dark and looked over at Dex.  There was sweat on her forehead and she was shaking, moving her head back and forth.  He leaned over with his good arm and grabbed Dex’s hand, she pulled back a bit, but he held firm and put his hand in hers and ran his thumb up and down the top of her hand.  </p><p>	“Thank you.”  Dex whispered in her sleep. </p><p>	“I know you Dex.”  He whispered back; she was already fast asleep. </p><p>END CHAPTER 2</p>
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